Should He Come To Harm
by Lover of Angelus
Summary: "I don't think I have to explain what will happen if I hear a whisper of harm coming to him." Tag to 4x08: Lamia; Protective!Arthur; Merthur.
1. Should he come to harm

**Title**: Should he come to harm, your life is forfeit

**Disclaimer**: Me no own, You no sue.

**Warning**: Vague Merthur

**Note**: Takes place immediate after 4x08: _Lamia_ when all the knights are still bedridden.

**Note2**: _**B****_old _italics**_ is flashbacks.

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**Chapter one**: Should he come to harm

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_**A torch in your hand and nasty words on your lips... Merlin close, so close – there's fear in his eyes and for some reason that makes you even angrier. So you step closer, into Merlin's space until he's completely backed against the wall.**_

_**More hate spills from your lips as a sweet song fills your ears and calls away from this **_**disgusting**_** creature.**_

You wake from the nightmare with a start and bolt upright.

"Welcome back," Gaius says.

You look over just in time to see Merlin quickly leaving the improvised hospital.

"Shit," you curse under your breath.

"That's one way of putting it," Leon says. There's a deep sadness in his voice that you've never heard from him before.

"Do you remember what happened?" Gaius asked.

You nod slowly, glancing back at the door, wishing in vain that Merlin would come back.

"Where did Merlin go?" you ask as you throw the blanket off, intending to go after him.

"Don't bother," there's ice in this new voice that entered the room. Arthur.

"Why not?" you immediately regret the words as they leave your mouth.

The glare that Arthur sends you makes you flinch and shrink back. The King had his arms crossed over his chest – using his entire body to block the doorway.

You glance around again, all of the knights were conscious now. Arthur slowly stepped forward, casually dismissing Gaius so he was alone with them. You could now sense the anger that radiated off your king.

"'Why not?'" Arthur repeats your question as he glares at each man in turn. "What did I tell you all before you left Camelot?"

_**Arthur looks at each of you, making sure that everyone understands that what he's about to say is of the utmost importance. "Gwen is going along. If anything happens to her, you'll be locked in the dungeons for a year. Merlin, however..."**_

_**A heavy pause permeated the room where the knights and King stood in a loose circle.**_

"_**I don't think I have to explain what will happen if I hear a whisper of harm coming to him."**_

"Merlin has pleaded on your behalf," Arthur said. "He said it was nothing more than an enchantment, that it was an evil creature, that you're not to blame."

Then his next words slammed down on the entire room with all the resonance of the executioner's axe.

"His words have fallen on deaf ears. Each of you will be held accountable."

And, just like the king that he was, as Arthur simply _walked_ out of the room, he took all of the oxygen with him.

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	2. your life

**Title**: Should he come to harm, your life is forfeit

**Disclaimer**: Me no own, You no sue.

**Warning**: Angsty knights, vague Merthur

**Note**: _**bold italics**_ is flashbacks

-z-

**Chapter two**: your life

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If the silence wasn't going to kill you, then Arthur's grueling pace back to Camelot would. No one spoke to each other, just darting glances filled with a shared guilt and self-loathing.

Before leaving the village, you had tried once to speak to Merlin.

"_**Merlin," you called out, trying to catch up with the man.**_

_**Merlin whirled around at the sound of your voice and you saw the barest flash of fear in his eyes.**_

_**Just as you were about to stop, Arthur came from the hut Merlin had been about to enter.**_

_**And it felt like you had been skewered on a spear as Arthur's ice blue eyes froze you in place. You watched as he gently guided Merlin to stand behind him.**_

"_**Your majesty," you wanted to choke on your own words.**_

_**Arthur said nothing, didn't even blink, just kept Merlin behind him.**_

Under other circumstances, you would've brushed past Arthur and tried to get at least two words into Merlin's ear.

_I'm sorry._

That's all you wanted to say to him.

But – even as you ride towards Camelot – you knew you had a better chance of a getting by a she-wolf protecting her cubs. Ever since he heard about what had happened, Arthur made sure Merlin was never out of sight and if he was, it was never for long.

The one time they stopped to rest the horses, Arthur had sent the knights out to gather firewood, keeping Merlin within arm's length – all this to his uncle's chagrin.

"_**Where are you going, Merlin?" Arthur asked.**_

"_**Collect some firewood, sire," Merlin responded.**_

"_**No," the King gestured to you, Leon, Eylan, and Percival, "They are."**_

"_**Why would they collect firewood?" Agravaine snorted in disdain, "They are knights."**_

_**An angerhatredloathing so extreme it was **_**apathy**_** flashed in Arthur's eyes just then.**_

"_**Not until they start acting like it," was all he said.**_

_**The words were a flurry of arrows shot through each of your hearts.**_

You weren't back in Camelot long before you and the other knights were summoned to the throne room.

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	3. is

**Title**: Should he come to harm, your life is forfeit

**Disclaimer**: Me no own, You no sue.

**Warning**: Angsty knights, vague Merthur

**Note**: _**bold italics**_ is flashbacks

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**Chapter three**: is

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Your eyes stung and new blood from your chaffed wrists dribbled over the dried blood on your arms. Your throat was raw and your stomach was trying to eat its way from your body.

_**You weren't back in Camelot long before you and the other knights were summoned to the throne room.**_

_**When you arrived, Arthur and Agravaine were arguing heatedly with Merlin standing behind Arthur, his small frame easily hidden behind the King's.**_

"_**This is ridiculous, Arthur," Agravaine spat. "First you made them gather firewood and now this?"**_

"_**I will not have you lecture me on the disciplining of my own men," Arthur growled. **_

"_**But on the account of a mere servant?"**_

_**Arthur took a step closer to his uncle and you were sure that he was about to strike the man.**_

"_**Merlin has saved my life more often than any of my men combined, shown unwavering loyalty through even the most desperate of times, has stood by my side through countless battles. So, uncle, when he has been treated with the same respect one holds for a rat, yes, I will take offense.**_

"_**And the offenders will be accountable. Even if the magic is the reason for it."**_

_**That's when Arthur turned to you and others.**_

Leon was the only one who talked after the first three days.

Not whole conversations, he would just say names to make sure that everyone was still alive. It wasn't the punishment that would kill any of you, but the guilt coupled with the echoing of the king's words would.

"_**Percival, Gwaine, Eylan, Leon," his voice held a quiet disdain that unsettled your stomach, "on your knees before the throne."**_

_**None of you hesitated as you aligned yourselves in front of throne and king and got to one knee, heads bowed and not daring to look Arthur or each other in the eye.**_

"_**You are stripped of your knighthoods and will remain in the stocks for three days. You will be given water twice a day. Afterwards, I might restore your knighthood."**_

You only ever spoke on the first day, as you were being shackled into place.

"Do you think Merlin will ever forgive us?" you had asked.

No one answered.

"_**Arthur!" Agravaine was in shock.**_

"_**No!" Arthur shouted. "Don't you dare stand up for them. They acted like fools and will be treated as such."**_

_**Each word was true.**_

_**And you knew it, but the worst was yet to come as Arthur ordered everyone to stand. His eyes held all of the rage you expected and more – betrayal.**_

"_**I expected more from you! As knights – as my knights you should've had more sense than those idiots who were transporting the Lamia in the first place."**_

_**Then Agravaine planted himself in front of Arthur – maybe the man had more courage than you had originally given him credit for.**_

"_**Milord, it's not like they hurt him," he said.**_

"_**And that's just as well," Arthur said, "because if they had they never would've made it back to Camelot."**_

_**The sincerity in those words terrified you more than monster could've dared to.**_

_**Agravaine was stunned into silence.**_

Percival spoke on the second after the citizens had ran out of their rotting tomatoes – provided courtesy of the castle's kitchens.

"I think Merlin forgave us a long time ago," he said, "but Arthur…"

"Arthur won't forgive us for the next year," Elyan finished. "But that's just as well. I won't forgive myself for the next ten years."

You knew that everyone felt the same. Maybe more-so for you and Leon. Leon who had gone so far as to actually draw his sword against the boy, and you who had cornered him the same way you do the chicken ready for slaughter.

"_**Guards!" Arthur then barked out his orders and you, Leon, Elyan, and Percival were led out to the stocks.**_

_**You dared a glance back to Merlin, the boy was roughly wiping at his face. You knew then what you were being punished for.**_

_**Sure, in part it was for the shoving and the malicious words – but mostly, mostly it was for what could've happened. For what **_**would've**_** happened had the Lamia decided to take things a step further.**_

_**You, Elyan, Leon, Percival – if the Lamia had but asked, had but sang her sweet silent words and asked it – you would've killed Merlin without even the slightest of hesitations.**_

On the morning of the fourth day, the guards came out and released you.

None of you could even move, just sank to your knees and down into the mud of your own excrement.

"King Arthur will see you at noon," said the chief of the guard as he gave each of you a bit of bread.

One by one, each of you managed to find the strength to make it to your rooms.

Yours had a cold bath ready and a set of plain clothes already laid out for you.

After you were bathed and dressed, it was already time to meet with the king.

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The throne room was completely empty when the four of you arrived. You noticed everyone was also dressed in plain clothes and you couldn't decide whether or not it was a sign.

But, before you could ask as much, the doors slammed open and Arthur breezed into the room. Merlin only a half-step behind him.

"Kneel," was all he said.

Each of you did as ordered.

"Now, no one will move until they've been pardoned by Merlin," it almost sounded like there was a hint of laughter on Arthur's voice – but you wouldn't dare glance up.

"Elyan," Merlin's voice was soft as he stood in front of the man, "I've forgiven you."

"Thank you," Elyan half-choked on a sob.

"Percival," Merlin put a hand on Percival's shoulder, "I've forgiven you."

"Merlin," the tall man looked for all the world like he just wanted to pick the boy up and twirl him around, "thank you."

"Leon," you watched out of the corner of your eye as Merlin tipped the older man's chin up so he could look him right in the eye. "Leon, I've forgiven you."

You could see actual tears on Leon's face. It may have been the man's overbearing guilt, but it was Merlin's genuine sincerity that pulled the wetness from his eyes.

"Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin smiled down at the kneeling man.

And then Merlin went to stand next to Arthur.

-z-


	4. forfeit

**Title**: Should he come to harm, your life is forfeit

**Disclaimer**: Me no own, You no sue.

**Warning**: Merthur throne!sex

**Note**: _**bold italics**_ is flashbacks

**Note2**: I've been reading a lot of smut lately and when I finally wrote this chapter... well, this happened.

**Note3**: If you see any mistakes, please let me know. It's six in the morning and I don't think I edited very well... Sorry in advance :)

**Note4**: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED/ALERTED/FAVORITED THIS STORY! If I didn't reply to your review it's because FFnet was being lame, and I apologize. Please know that it's not because I don't love you. I do. I love all of you. Again, I need to go to sleep.

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**Chapter four**: forfeit

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Arthur frowns up at Merlin as he pulls the boy close.

"Are you sure?"

Merlin nods once and lets Arthur tug him down into his lap.

"I'll take care of it," Arthur says as Merlin straddles him. "You don't have to watch what happens next."

"Thank you," is all Merlin can say and he leans his forehead against Arthur's, feeling the King's crown press into his skin.

**_Your heart leapt to your throat and the icy claws of fear wrapped around your heart and squeezed._**

**_Shocked silence filled the throne room and you chanced a glance up at Arthur – the king only raised an eyebrow at Merlin but said nothing._**

**_No one said anything._**

**_No one moved._**

**_There was nothing on Merlin's face as very suddenly whirled on you, all of his anger finally coming out all at once._**

The kisses are soft at first. But then the fear and sadness starts to creep in and their pace picks up, Merlin clinging desperately to Arthur like the man would just vanish.

Or worse, turn on him.

"It's okay," Arthur murmurs over and over and over against Merlin's skin. "I'm right here. You're safe, Merlin, you're safe. Shh. You're safe, now."

**_"Dammit, Gwaine," he snarled as he quickly advanced on you. "Out of everything that was said, everything that was done – your words and your actions were the ones that hurt the most. You were the one who was supposed to snap out of it and stand up for me."_**

**_Then there was something cold and hungry that ghosted against the back of your neck and crawled up your arms, settling in your bones and making them tremble._**

**_"You were the biggest disappointment of all."_**

**_Then that cold and hungry something seemed to latch itself on your heart and it squeezed._**

Merlin thinks on that first night back with Arthur – Arthur's _I'm-in-love-with-Gwen_ charade dropped as he enfolded his sorcerer into his arms, spitting dark promises of vengeance and blood.

Arthur had just held Merlin that night, held him against his chest, pressing feather-light kisses on his cheeks and temple.

**_You wanted to cry out in pain, but you still couldn't move, still couldn't speak. So you wept._**

**_And that cold hungry thing vanished and you could move again and you grabbed Merlin's wrist and jerked him forward, burying your head in his stomach._**

**_"I'm sorry," you said. "I'm sorry for the things I said, the things I did."_**

**_You pulled back and looked Merlin in the eyes._**

**_"And most of all, I'm sorry for what could've happened. I'm sorry that, if the Lamia had only asked, I would've killed you. I'm sorry."_**

**_There tears in Merlin's eyes as he pulled you forward and you once again buried your face in his abdomen._**

**_"Gwaine, I've forgiven you."_**

Now, now Merlin arches against his king, throwing his head back as he struggles to stay quiet.

Arthur hisses as the back of his head cracks against the wood of the throne.

**_You tightened your grip on the young man in front of you – never wanting to let go. At least, you didn't until you heard the distinct rasp of Arthur's sword being unsheathed._**

**_"Get off my manservant, Gwaine," Arthur growled as he pulled Merlin away._**

**_You quickly release the boy as Arthur pressed the blade against your neck. Your breath hitched in your throat as the edge bit into the soft skin there._**

**_"Arise, Sir Gwaine, Knight of Camelot," Arthur tapped the sword against each of your shoulders. He took a step to the side and knighted Leon, then Percival, and finally Elyan._**

**_"Now that that's over with," Arthur snipped, sheathing his sword. "Get dressed and meet me on the training grounds."_**

When the two of you are spent and sated, Arthur chuckles and says, "Really, Merlin, you're going to have to stop this."

"It was your idea," Merlin says as he stands and begins to pull his trousers back up.

"Can't help it," Arthur stood and grabbed his shirt from the floor. "I love it when you get all angry; didn't help that Gwaine touched you."

Merlin glared at Arthur who just stole another kiss.

"Speaking of, don't you have knights to go beat up?"

Arthur smiled as he ran his teeth along Merlin's jaw.

"They can wait," the king said as he dropped his shirt back to the ground.

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	5. alternate ending

**Title**: Should he come to harm, your life is forfeit

**Disclaimer**: Me no own, You no sue.

**Warning**: Character death, language, slash.

**Note**: _**bold italics**_ is flashbacks

**Note2**: Dedicated to Vuurvlieg, who wanted something darker.

**Note3**: I edited chapter four... I apologize for EVERYTHING that was wrong with it. And that was a lot.

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**Chapter five**: alternate ending

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Arthur frowns down at Merlin as he pulls the boy close.

"Are you sure?"

Merlin nods, wiping at his face angrily.

"I'll take care of it," Arthur says. "You don't have to watch."

"Thank you," is all Merlin can say and he leans his forehead against Arthur's, feeling the King's crown press into his skin.

_**Your heart leapt to your throat and the icy claws of fear wrapped around your heart and squeezed.**_

_**Shocked silence filled the throne room and you chanced a glance up at Arthur – the king only raised an eyebrow at Merlin but said nothing.**_

_**No one said anything.**_

_**No one moved.**_

_**There was nothing on Merlin's face as very suddenly whirled on you, all of his anger finally coming to the surface.**_

_**"Dammit, Gwaine," he snarled as he quickly advanced on you. "Out of everything that was said, everything that was done – your words and your actions were the ones that hurt the most."**_

_**Then there was something cold and hungry that ghosted against the back of your neck and crawled up your arms, settling in your bones and making you tremble.**_

_**"You were the biggest disappointment of all."**_

_**Then that cold and hungry thing latched itself onto your heart and **_**squeezed**_**.**_

Merlin remembered that first night back with Arthur – Arthur's _I'm-in-love-with-Gwen_ charade dropped as he enfolded his sorcerer into his arms, spitting dark promises of vengeance and blood as soon as he heard the full story.

Once his anger had settled, Arthur had just held Merlin against his chest, pressing feather-light kisses on his cheeks and temple and telling him over and over that he was safe now.

_**"I'm sorry," you whispered, choking on the words. "I'm sorry for the things I said, the things I did. And most of all, I'm sorry for what could've happened. I'm sorry that, if the Lamia had only asked, I would've killed you. Please, Merlin, forgive me."**_

"It's almost over," Arthur says, pulling away and kissing Merlin on the forehead once more. "I have to go. You don't have to watch, but I do."

Merlin grimaces and leaves the throne room.

_**"You would dare ask for forgiveness?" Merlin shouted. **_

Arthur stood on the balcony, silently watching as Gwaine was led out before the crowds.

_**"You were supposed to be there! You were supposed to protect me! Instead you left me to the fucking wolves!"**_

Gwaine said nothing as he was shoved to his knees.

_**You didn't hear Arthur send Leon to the dungeons and banish Percival and Elyan.**_

_**You didn't hear Arthur sentence you.**_

_**You didn't even notice as the guards dragged you down to the courtyard.**_

Arthur didn't even flinch as the executioner's axe slammed down.

And that night, when Arthur held Merlin, he whispered,

"It's over."

-z-

End.


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